Not only were more cancers diagnosed, but many were spotted early, increasing the chances of successful treatment and survival.

The “Be Clear On Cancer” TV and press campaign was launched in 2011 by Public Health England (PHE) to raise awareness of a range of cancers.

Between May and June last year, people in England were advised to see their GP if they had a cough lasting longer than three weeks, one of the key symptoms of lung cancer.

As a result, around 700 more people were diagnosed with the disease than during the same months the previous year, a rise of 9.1%.

In addition some 400 patients had lung cancers picked up at an early stage, according to Cancer Research UK which supported the campaign.

There was also a significant decrease in the proportion of patients found to have late-stage cancers, and about 300 more diagnosed patients received surgery.

As a general rule, the earlier cancer is detected, the more likely it is to be successfully treated.

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “It is great news that this campaign has raised awareness of lung cancer symptoms among those most at risk of the disease.

“By acting quickly if you notice a possible symptom, you can give yourself the best chance of survival.

“In many cases it won’t be cancer, but it is better to be sure and, if it is cancer, to detect it earlier rather than later.

“Earlier diagnosis, combined with the pioneering research that brings better and kinder treatments to patients, means we are starting to make much needed headway against a type of cancer that has killed millions.

“This vital combination will help bring forward the day when no one dies prematurely from lung cancer.”

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: “Until recently a lung cancer patient in Sweden was nearly 70% more likely to survive their disease for at least five years than if they lived in England.

“So I am therefore delighted that this new set of figures shows that the Be Clear On Cancer campaign has helped speed up our progress in lung cancer survival with hundreds of patients receiving potential life-saving surgery as a result of this campaign.”

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at PHE, said: “To see such encouraging results from the first national Be Clear On Cancer lung campaign is very reassuring.

“It shows that we can make a difference when it comes to one of the biggest cancer killers.

“Public Health England is committed to helping prevent and diagnose cancers earlier. We are now looking to re-run the campaign in 2014 which we hope will improve survival for even more patients.”

Other cancers targeted by the campaign include bowel, breast, bladder, kidney, oesophagus, stomach and ovarian.

Public Health England is an executive agency of the Department of Health set up to raise health awareness and support health initiatives.

Each year 41,500 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the UK and around 35,000 people die from the disease.

It has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer, with only around 8% of those diagnosed living as long as long as five years.

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